


Doctor Gilbert's Home for the Gifted

by BeautifullyFlawed



Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-07
Updated: 2016-10-06
Packaged: 2018-08-20 00:05:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8229382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeautifullyFlawed/pseuds/BeautifullyFlawed
Summary: Au loosely set in the peregrine world. Erin can see ghost and that's not the only thing hats real. She becomes the caretaker of perculiar people and hasn't seen her best friend in ten years.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Song of LoN (fantasybylon)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fantasybylon/gifts).



> Thank you thank you to my beta Song of Lon your the best. Like you took all my horrible punctuation and made this much more readable. This story I saw very au and eventually will be holtzbert. It's a slow burn. 
> 
> Tumblr Valkyriewithashotgun 
> 
> Also next update won't be for it least a week. Hurricane Matthew will probably cut power so I'll be writing the old fashion way.

It had been ten years since Erin had left her best friend Abby after fighting over the existence of the paranormal. Abby believed and Erin withdrew into her doubt, trying to block out the fact that she could see otherworldly entities. She had left her friend, deciding to travel and clear her head. The most she’d been around was from Michigan to New York, not really having any urge to explore the world further.

She found a whole other world in Florida. A woman who was dressed as if she were from the 1950’s had approached her, asking about her gifts, assuring her she wasn’t alone, and promising she could help her control when she saw or heard those otherworldly things. Erin was more than eager by this time, especially when she found out the woman could turn herself into a beautiful bird. She’d spent so much time waiting to be normal. When she followed the woman - Alma Peregrine was her name - into a Publix bathroom, her world was flipped around.

Erin had blinked her eyes in amazement, looking around to see she had actually stepped back in time, all the way to the 1990’s. She remembered the plaid shirts and ripped jeans, and felt oddly more at home as she relaxed into the time loop. She’d find out later, after much practice, that she herself could control her own time loop. The children she met were polite, each having their own intricate gift that made her feel even more comfortable with her own powers. The control that she’d always strived for was now in her hands. She could live forever with the wave of the time loop and continue her own research and science. She always strived to find the scientific explanation for everything that was thrown her way, no matter what.

Time seemed to be at peace as Erin continued to write her theories and the days passed. Alma had eventually, after three years, sent her on her way to create her own loop and recruit her own children. She’d picked an old motel outside of New York City, out in the country, to start her own loop. She enjoyed walking around New York in a time that the world had been on the edge of a new era. She felt the thrum in the air as new science was about to be discovered and technology was about to change the sociology of the entire world.

Erin had gotten word of a possible peculiar in need, back in her own timeline. The year was 2017 at the time, and after living in and out of the loop for ten years the sense of time of the universe didn't affect her as much. She’d age very slowly when jumping in her own timeline or in the future, and she never stayed for a whole day. 

On this particular day, she didn’t realize her life was about to change once again or that she’d run into an old friend. She’d been sent a letter by another master time looper to check a college nearby for a possible peculiar that could control animals. She had yet to meet anyone that had a type of psychic connection with creatures, and wanted to recruit the college student. 

“Hi I’m Erin,” she introduced herself. “I'm a professor of particle physics at the University of Michigan and I’d like a word with you.” She took a seat in front of the pre-vet medical student. 

The girl looked up, confusion on her face as she stopped studying long enough to make eye contact. “Alright. Can I... errr... help you?” she asked, obviously wondering why someone studying physics would be talking to a med student. 

Erin laughed, a slight blush on her face. Even with all the young people she’d recruited over the past years, she still never felt quite at ease approaching them. 

“I know what you can do,” she said with a knowing look, her voice soft as to not sound too eager or crazed. 

The girl looked even more confused. “I’m not sure what you mean.” 

Erin sighed, looking around to make sure no one was paying too close attention to their conversation. “You can telepathically communicate with animals,” she said in one breath, an encouraging smile on her face. 

The girl's eyes widened and her hands shook as she began stuffing her items into her bag. “I don’t know what you're talking about,” she said, suddenly in a rush. “But I'm late for my next class.”

Erin quickly took out a card with her information. “Amanda, I know this is very confusing for you. But if you want answers - or just need someone to talk to - that's where you can find me. Call that number or show up at that address and I’ll be there. I know it seems overwhelming, but you're not alone.” She knew it was hard for most potential recruits to believe anything, but usually after a few days she’d be adding another member to her growing family. 

Amanda snatched the card out of her hand, shoving it in her pocket with a weak smile, and was gone. 

Erin was it least happy the girl took the card. Sometimes the recruits would faint, or even run off screaming. She had, at least, learned how to make herself invisible in such a case. 

Her mind was already wandering home as her watch informed her she only had a few hours left until she had to return and reset the loop. She wasn’t paying attention, and knocked into someone on her way, saying a quick apology before really seeing the other person. Her eyes widened, feeling a blush hit her cheeks as she realized her childhood best friend was standing in front of her.

“Erin?” Abby questioned as she got a look at her old friend. Erin was wearing loosely-fitting jeans with a black and red plaid shirt. Her hair was left to its natural wave. Abby couldn’t believe her once uptight friend looked like some sort of classic grunge teenageer. Even her former friend’s usually classic pumps had been replaced with a worn out looking pair of red Chuck Taylors. 

Erin nodded with a slight wave. “Hey… Abby.” She had never expected to run into her friend again, not knowing that she was now working at NYC. 

“You haven’t aged a day,” her friend announced. “And your clothes! Are you having some sort of mid-life crisis?” she exclaimed. 

“It’s just a look…” Erin defended with a slight shrug. 

“Where have you been?” Abby demanded. “I mean, I called your parents and… Erin, no one has seen you in over ten years. You just fell of the face of the planet! You abandoned our book, and now… What happened? You just… you left!” she sounded hurt, and it upset Erin knowing what she’d done. She pulled her watch out of her pocket, checking to make sure she had time before trying to explain anything to her friend. 

“I…” she started, but her ex-friend interrupted her. 

“I published our book… I didn't think you’d care. I mean, since you just disappeared,” she pointed out defensively. 

“Abby… I had to. I was sick of being called a fraud, of being teased. No one would take us seriously. Abby, I just wanted to feel normal.” 

“You were my best friend, and you didn’t even say goodbye. You know, we thought you were a missing person; we searched for you.. I mean, you were just ‘poof’ gone, with no trace. You left everything behind. So you tell me where you’ve been. I deserve to know that, at least.” Abby ranted. 

“Abby… I don’t have a lot of time... Not even enough to fully explain. If you come with me, though, I promise all your questions will be answered.” 

Abby shook her head. “No, we’re doing this on my terms. I don’t even know where you’ve been, and now you just want me to follow you blindly?” Erin winced; Abby's emotions were running high, and it seemed to be getting worse. 

“Do you have an office we can talk in, then?” she sighed. She was going to be pushing her time limit if she didn’t quickly explain to Abby where she’d been. Even after ten years, she still trusted her friend enough to share her secret. If anyone would understand, it'd be her. 

Abby motioned for her to follow her to the Physics department. She slammed the door to her office as she took a seat. “This had better be good. I don’t like to leave my partner alone for too long. She likes to set things on fire when I’m not watching.”

“Ghost are real…” Erin said simply. “I can see them, and communicate with them. There's a special evolution of the human race that are called peculiars. Every peculiar has a special ability that they can use. My job is to watch over the more vulnerable ones, and keep them out of harm’s way. Abby, you were right about everything. I wanted to be normal…. I needed to feel normal, and I met someone that made me feel that. I have the ability to loop time, and my loop is set in 1995. I like that era, because of the technology and the fact that people just didn’t care. Abby, I mean look at me! Have you ever seen me so relaxed? I’ve found my place and my own peace. I’m sorry I never went to find you. I didn’t even think you’d want to see me.” 

Her friend sat there, her mouth wide open through the whole explanation. “I knew you could see ghosts!” she pointed out excitedly. “The fact that there's… I mean, I knew it was possible that such things existed. But wow, Erin. It's a bit much to swallow.” 

“I understand. I need to be going now, and you can come with. I can show you, if you want; it’s ok if you don’t. But I need to be heading back. I’m only allowed twenty hours in a day when I leave my loop. It also ages and drains me,” she explained.

“Where are we going?” Abby asked, her voice filled with awe. She was having some trouble wrapping her head around everything. 

“An hour from here,” Erin explained. “Time works differently in the loop. It feels faster, but in reality not much time goes by in the timeline you started off in. I've written many theories on how it all works. Abby I’ve gotten so many theories to show you.” She was getting excited. 

“Just trust and follow me, and everything we wrote can be proven.” She reached her hand out, an encouraging smile on her face, hoping she could finally make amends with her best friend. 

Abby took a moment to think it over before getting up and grasping her younger-looking friend’s hand. “Let's do it…,” she agreed, and then added, “But I’m still mad at you.” 

Erin laughed. “I deserve that.”


End file.
